Clark Filio: THE CYCLE OF FIRE
Greenpoint Terminal Gallery is pleased to announce The Cycle of Fire, a solo show by the painter Clark Filio. His statement follows:
The Cycle of Fire is my second solo show in New York, and my first at Greenpoint Terminal Gallery. For me, this show is about transformation and revolution. It’s about the simultaneous and contradictory lust for and fear of power.
The centerpiece of the show is Morathi, a large oil on canvas depiction of the titular first Dark Elf from the Warhammer fantasy universe. She is the narrative catalyst for a long faustian drama referred to as The Sundering. This is a civil war, that ends with the bifurcation of the Asur race, and the collectivization of the Dark Elf’s as an independent force. There’s a lot to it, but in a way, this painting starts with something about fantasy statecraft.
The title of the show, The Cycle of Fire, is borrowed from my favorite fantasy trilogy. Written by Janny Wurts, it’s a tale of a young scribe who is trying everything he can to escape his birthright as a sorcerer. Emergency demands that he claim his title, and endure the Cycle of Fire, a trial that would give him immense magical prowess, but is certain to destroy his sanity and human compassion.
